Abstract

Made by a nitrile insertion/hydrogen migration process via Ph2P(O)CH2Li and (BuCN)-C-t, the enamide Ph2P(O)CH=C(Bu-t)N(H)Li and its TMEDA hemisolvate exist as tetrameric and dinuclear arrangements respectively: the novel structure of the starting lithiated phosphane oxide, also in its TMEDA hemisolvated form, is shown to contain Li-C contacts of two distinct types.